Tube staff balloted on pay strike

The maintenance workers' employer says the deal on offer is fair

London Underground workers could go on strike in a dispute over pay, a union has warned.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is balloting members working at maintenance firm Tube Lines.

The RMT claims the company's pay offer would leave Tube Line staff worse off compared to those working in other parts of the network.

Tube Lines said their pay and conditions were "very competitive and amongst the best in the rail industry".

Enormous profits

The ballot papers will go out on 4 August and the ballot will close nine days later.

"The RMT is determined that Tube Line members don't fall behind in terms of rates of pay and conditions of service with other colleagues on the Tube network," said the union's general secretary Bob Crow.

He said Tube Lines had made enormous profits and could find the money for a similar deal already reached on other parts of the Tube network.

"Despite this, they have tabled an inferior pay offer this year, made no movement on improving annual leave and continue to keep the door closed to the pension fund and full travel facilities for newer employees," Bob Crow said.

Tube Lines disputed this saying that workers had been offered a one year pay deal at 4.85% or a two year deal at 4.95% in year one and year two at Retail Price Index plus 0.75 %, which they say is more than London Underground's offer to its staff of 4.6%.

A statement from Tube Lines said: "Our pay and conditions are very competitive and amongst the best in the rail industry."

Their employees also get 37 days leave a year and travel subsidies, which Tube Lines said are "generous" conditions.

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